Linux Dedicated Server Toolkit Development

[XtremeBain]

So after posting this, I got to thinking that it might be worthwhile to build a toolkit for people who are looking to start a dedicated (linux) server.

Here are some rough ideas:
- Installation Script
When run as root, this script would ask which user to install the files for or create a user (pb2servers) if needed.  When run on a non-su account it would assume ~/paintball/.  The script would then probe the repository (http://dplogin.com/files/) and discover the location of the latest miniserver tarball.  It would proceed to download it from SF.  Extract miniserver tarball, go back to repo and download and extract the latest serverupdate tarball.
- Content Downloader
When this script is run it will go to the repo and check for any new (third-party) content.  i.e. maps, textures, mapinfo, etc. and download them as necessary.  There would be a prompt at the end of the server installation to run this script so that servers would have a decent set of initial maps.  This script would have a couple parameters so that it can be run silently without any prompts so that it could auto-download new content every day, week, etc. as per the server admin.
- Server Instance Facility
A facility that would allow you to quickly manage your server scripts.  This would basically allow you to create new launch scripts or cleanup old ones.  Servers would be launched into a screen and this facility would take care of the scripting portion of it.  Admins would just need to specify a couple pieces of information such as: shortname, config, port, auto-start?, etc. and the facility would make sure that all the necessary scripts to start the servers are in order.  I guess the facility could also allow you to control the stopping and starting of servers as well, rather than manually killing processes and rerunning scripts.
- Misc.
Some other things would need to be made to have this all work.  Some scripts that help with cron, init.d, etc.

Other Ideas:
There's a couple other ideas floating around that I'm a little less keen on.  A web front-end to manage some of these tasks, a ncurses program so that people can make configs, maplists, modify login access (commands.txt), etc.

Any other ideas/input is welcome, but I'm really only looking to hear from developers, server admins or linux gurus.  Thanks

[KnacK]

Kudos for taking this on Bain.
I plan to shortly have a nix box up and running here and I would be available to help test this out.

[Zorchenhimer]

Sounds like an awesome idea. I'd be able to help test it out if need be.

There's a couple other ideas floating around that I'm a little less keen on.  A web front-end to manage some of these tasks, a ncurses program so that people can make configs, maplists, modify login access (commands.txt), etc.

I was working on something like this for Windows (using VB), but I stopped when I lost the source. Stupid Vista.

[y00tz]

Question, if I may, why are you not so keen on the web front end?

I was working on something like this for Windows (using VB)

Vista's not the stupid one here...

I'm kidding, I'm sure VB isn't as useless as I think it to be.

[jitspoe]

Sounds interesting.  I think I'm going to do away with the minserver package and just require the full linux install for the base, and have server update packages for future releases.  The server updates won't contain any config files, just the modified executables and whatever additional files need to be added (such as mapinfo files, etc.).

[ViciouZ]

Bain, thank you for playing into the hands of me, y00tz and Zorch. You'll see what I mean. Eventually.

[Apocalypse]

Thanks XBain. (Just so no one freaks out with linux users there everywhere . I only installed it on a computer I built for fun)
Hope to use this

[XtremeBain]

It's geared towards dedicated servers, not the PB2 client itself (like QuDos' install was).